kayceeisbookish's reviews
311 reviews

12 Days of Smutmas: Holiday Short Stories by Dana LeeAnn

Go to review page

lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Sugar, spice, and everything ✨️naughty✨️
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Go to review page

challenging hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Women + science = YES! I love anytime women are featured in STEM, so this book was an easy win for me. Our main character challenges norms and pushes boundaries. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

The writing style lacked finesse, leaving the characters all feeling the same and flat. The plot felt forced instead of a natural organic flow from page to page and scene to scene. Dialogue between characters was so stilted and unlike how actual people talk. And my biggest issue, they never brought why she was born the way she was...
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman

Go to review page

dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Dark, humorous, and self-referential. This book made me laugh out loud. So magnificently macabre. It draws you in and won't let you look away, like a derailed train accident. You can't stop watching as this story unfolds and becomes more and more of a hot mess for our poor characters.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Go to review page

dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

On the surface, this is a tale of a simple girl who could work miracles and was tried as a devil worshiper by the Spanish Inquisition. As you dig deeper, there's so much more going on. The caste systems and delegations of established roles in society. Religious prosecution and how it not only affected not only what people were made to worship but also their identity. Families had to change their family name to appear "less this" or "more that" to fit into a certain societal role of that time. Leigh created an enthralling tale that I highly recommend.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks

Go to review page

funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

'Ready Player One' meets 'Squid Games' in the sci-fi novel about a sentient towel that appears one day above the UK. I found this book quite repetitive. Each floor had the same formula over and over to the point it got a bit predictable and tedious. It definitely needs something to spicy things up a bit. The characters felt flat and uni-dimensional.
Upon a Frosted Star by M.A. Kuzniar

Go to review page

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I found this story drug on forever yet the plot somehow found resolution in 40 pages. So much build up for little payoff. And with Odette often not in human form, we get few interaction between the two MCs. I never felt invested in their relationship, so the ending did not have as big of an impact on me.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Go to review page

challenging dark inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS! This book is going to be one of my favorites of this year. It's so masterfully written and touches upon so many dark topics that need to be brought to light instead of hidden away into obscurity. I love how abrasive and raw this book is to all the senses. The big plot reveal had me floored, and it will take a while to recover from this amazing piece of literature.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley

Go to review page

informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

I was originally very excited about this book.  I saw people compare it to Song of Achilles. Folks...it's not. There are large gaps of what felt like filler and points where the story just goes nowhere/spins its tires for chapters. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

Go to review page

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm sobbing!!!! This was such a ride! Hazel was such a great character. The plot was so good. I loved the mix of mythology and science in her healer teachings. One of my favorite books of this year.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings